Ole Miss rolls past Tulane in College Football Playoff debut after Lane Kiffin’s departure

Lane Kiffin's arguable departure did not wounded Ole Miss successful the team’s first-round College Football Playoff matchup with Tulane.

The Rebels cruised to a 41-10 triumph implicit the 11th-seeded Green Wave Saturday. Ole Miss backmost Trinidad Chambliss received attraction connected the tract and was sidelined during the Rebels’ last first-half series.

Chambliss was evaluated for a concussion and cleared. He reentered the crippled for Ole Miss’ archetypal possession of the 3rd 4th and finished with 1 passing touchdown and 2 rushing scores.

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Trinidad Chambliss (6) of the Ole Miss Rebels scores a touchdown successful the archetypal 4th of a first-round College Football Playoff crippled against the Tulane Green Wave astatine Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Dec. 20, 2025, successful Oxford, Miss. (Wes Hale/Getty Images)

Tulane backmost Jake Retzlaff orchestrated an discourtesy that managed to determination the shot astatine times, but the Rebels remained comfortably up throughout. Ole Miss’ dominance astir mirrored September’s 45-10 triumph implicit Tulane.

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Retzlaff finished with 306 yards passing and a touchdown for Tulane, whose nonaccomplishment dropped non-Power Five league teams to 0-3 successful CFP games. James Madison is the lone non-Power Five squad remaining successful this year’s playoff. The Dukes trailed Oregon by 31 points with little than 5 minutes remaining successful the archetypal fractional of their first-round matchup Saturday night.

De'Zhaun Stribling (1) of the Ole Miss Rebels celebrates with Diego Pounds (61) aft scoring a touchdown during the 3rd 4th of a first-round College Football Playoff crippled against the Tulane Green Wave astatine Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Dec. 20, 2025, successful Oxford, Miss. (Wes Hale/Getty Images)

Kiffin had asked to support coaching Ole Miss done the playoffs adjacent portion moving for its Southeastern Conference rival, LSU. Keith Carter, the Ole Miss diversion director, denied the request. So, the Rebels entered arguably the astir important crippled ever played astatine Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a caller coach, Pete Golding.

Ole Miss caput manager Pete Golding is surrounded by the squad aft winning a first-round College Football Playoff crippled against Tulane astatine Vaught–Hemingway Stadium successful Oxford, Miss. Dec. 20, 2025. (Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Golding was promoted from antiaircraft coordinator to the caput coaching relation aft Kiffin's exit.

In Mississippi’s famed Grove, artwork astir tailgate tents depicted Kiffin successful a antagonistic light, including 1 showing him connected a Christmas "naughty" list, with Golding successful the "nice" column.

On the other sideline was Tulane manager Jon Sumrall, who was permitted to support coaching the Green Wave aft being hired by Florida. Sumrall volition regenerate Billy Napier.

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Ole Miss precocious to the quarterfinals and volition conscionable Georgia successful the Sugar Bowl New Year’s Day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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